Rescue workers are searching for more than 40 passengers after a boat capsized in Sokoto State on Sunday morning.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the vessel, which was conveying over 50 people to Goronyo Market, overturned midstream.
According to NEMA, about 10 people have been rescued so far, while more than 40 others remain missing.
Boat mishaps are frequent on Nigeria’s inland waterways, often blamed on overcrowding, poor regulation, and unsafe vessels, especially during the rainy season when rivers overflow.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said the agency’s Sokoto Operations Office had deployed rescue teams in collaboration with local authorities to intensify search efforts.
“We remain committed to saving lives, providing timely updates, and supporting the affected families,” NEMA assured in its statement.
The latest incident adds to a growing list of deadly boat accidents in the North-West and North-Central regions. In August 2024, 16 farmers drowned when a canoe capsized in Sokoto. Just last month, six girls died in Jigawa and 13 passengers lost their lives in Niger State in separate accidents.
